Novel Beverage and Food Container Serving System and Method of Using the Same

ABSTRACT

Beverage and food container serving system and method of using the same.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable

TECHNICAL FIELD

The inventive subject matter relates to beverage containers, food containers, and methods of using the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Modern craft beverage and food trends present many challenges that continue to rapidly evolve. Today's growing population of craft enthusiasts increasingly learn, try, and expect more of beverage and food offerings. Just some of the demands on craft beverage and food establishments now include increased variety, local offerings, curated pairings, fresh and unique ingredients and infusions, and compelling presentations for social media postings. For example, craft breweries often market new release beers through colorful art on cans, labels, or tap handles and craft cocktail bars and “drinkstagram” social media influencers use a variety of clear vessels to show colorful combinations of mixed drinks, garnishes and shaped or stamped ice. In some sense, a bartender's presentation of a carefully crafted cocktail had become not unlike a chef's thoughtful plating of food to enhance aesthetic appeal and user experience. To stay sustainable, though, all these expanding levels of craft service must remain efficient and profitable while meeting modern tastes and expectations.

That's because the traditional challenges remain too. For example, beverages are still a challenge to preserve. Various beverages, such as beer, wine, spirits, cocktails or mixed-drinks, punch, ciders, juices, soda, teas, kombucha, coffee, and agua fresca are variously affected by external factors, such as light, temperature, oxidation, and pressure. Plus, the degree to which different external factors affect beverages and food can increase with time, such as when batches or dishes are prepared in advance for large groups, served and consumed over a lengthy event, ordered as take out or delivery for later consumption, or saved as leftover portions. In addition to preservation, beverages are still a challenge to distribute. In the journey from a beverage maker's tap to a beverage consumer's table, beverages must be transported, stored, and served after various levels of preparation. Similar challenges also apply to food frequently served with beverages, and the great variety of desired beverages and food makes distribution, service, and sales even more challenging in different markets, environments, and use cases.

Many inventors have attempted to address one or more of these challenges, and many beverage and food containers have been invented over time as a result. Examples include growlers, aluminum cans, bottles and covered dishes or servings made of metal, glass or plastic, coolers and thermoses for food and beverages, kegs, wooden barrels, jugs, bladders, and six-packs or cases or boxes of the same. These inventions, however, represent variously deficient, ineffective, inefficient, and wasteful solutions to some or all of these challenges.

Thus, there is a need for new and improved beverage containers, food containers, and methods of using the same that assist with both modern craft trends and traditional service challenges such as preservation, distribution, and efficiency.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a novel beverage container and/or food container serving system and method of using the same. The system includes generally identical beverage and/or food serving containers preferably having a generally cubic or cylindrical shape, a handle on the top, an infusing means for pressurization or flavor, a filling means, a front handle opening a dispensing tap coupled to a siphon drain or opening a dispensing door, a middle cover for presentation or promotion, preservation, or insulation, and attaching and detaching means to vertically pair containers and their various contents inside. Taken together, these elements function to facilitate preservation and distribution of beverage and food contents in individual containers. At the same time, these elements collectively function to allow the enclosed beverage and/or food service containers to be vertically attachable and detachable to and from each other. They also function to allow vertically attached beverage and/or food service containers to be carried by a single handle. Finally, they function to allow the dispensing means of each beverage or food service container to be operable when the containers are vertically attached, even if facing in different directions.

Preferably, the handle is recessed or otherwise does not protrude from the top of each beverage and/or food service container, the infusing means is compressed argon or carbon dioxide or nitrogen gas or a mixture thereof for pressurization or smoked wood chips for flavor, the filling means is a removable cap or lid with a coupled or integrated handle on the top of the batch beverage container or an operable front door with a handle that opens for food or drinkware, the dispensing means is a front beverage tap spigot opened by a tap handle so liquid flows out the siphon drain or a front door opened by a door handle to remove food dishes or drinkware, the middle cover is an outer wall or display with transparency, tint, colored physical or digital aesthetics or branding, or insulation, the pairing means are indentions or tracks on the top of each container that pair to protrusions on the bottom of each container to attach and detach, the pairing functions are performed using a sliding or twisting motion in either direction respectively, and the interior surface of each beverage or food container is food grade plastic, glass, wood or metal.

The invention further includes a method for using the described beverage and food service container system to distribute a variety of beverages, food, and vessels. The steps of that method include filling a first beverage, food dish or drinkware container with the first contents, filling a second beverage, food dish or drinkware container with the second contents, attaching the beverage, food dish or drinkware containers to each other vertically, carrying the vertically attached beverage, food dish, or drinkware containers using the handle of the top container, placing the vertically attached beverage, food dish or drinkware containers on a table, bar, or counter, and dispensing or serving the first beverage, food dish or drinkware contents and the second beverage, food dish or drinkware contents from the vertically attached containers for consumption adjacent to the various vessels.

There are many advantages of the invention compared to existing containers, some of which are described below, by way of example.

For example, the beverage containers of the invention can be filled and pressurized without additional industrial equipment, such as the equipment traditionally used for canning and bottling. This is a particular advantage, for instance, for small craft breweries and wineries that do not have such equipment, as well as the vast majority of individuals who do not have such equipment in their homes.

For another example, the invention allows beverages and/or food and drink ware to be stored compactly and transported efficiently as a result of the optimized internal volume of each cubic shaped container, the collective optimized volume of stacks of vertically attached containers, and the protective outer wall covering around the inner wall container or trays inside. Asymmetrically shaped growlers, bottles and bowls, for instance, offer less volumetric efficiency per container, additional wasted space when they are boxed and stacked, and greater risk of breakage and lost contents.

For another example, the various features of the invention allow beverages and/or food to be stably transported in various quantities, as compared to traditional growlers or bowls, for instance, which are susceptible to tipping over during transport, and are mainly designed to be carried independently.

For another example, the invention allows a variety of beverages to be dispensed by gravity or pressurization and a variety of food dishes or drinkware to be removed by small batch boxes, trays or boards for service. This flexibility offers variety and facilitates socializing, sharing, and sampling paired flights or servings, which are critical attributes to consumers and allow businesses to offer curated tastings, combinations and custom user experiences. A single keg, growler, plate or bowl, for instance, offers no such variety.

For another example, because the inventive beverage and/or food containers have a modular surrounding outer wall cover that could be made in a variety of materials whether clear, tinted, or partially or completely colored, the various contents stored inside its vessels could be displayed clearly for consumers, shielded from sunlight, or overlayed with physical or digital branding such as craft beer art, product information or promotional menu offerings. This flexibility can be expanded further with internal display lighting, for example, to heighten presentation and hot or cold inserts to eliminate the need for refrigeration, ice or chafing fuel (at least for a period of several hours).

For another example, the inventive beverage and/or food containers are reusable, different than most bottles, cans, and paper or plastic plates or bowls which typically are thrown away or recycled.

For another example, unlike the inflexibility of many set single wall or fused double wall containers like aluminum cans, plastic, glass or stainless steel growlers, or plastic, glass, or metal bottles, bowls and plates, the invention's outer wall cover and inner container and/or trays can be made of multiple materials depending if a particular use favors plastic, glass, or metal for convenience, weight, light, temperature, taste, chemical or environmental reasons. For example, many beaches, lakes, pools or day clubs, night clubs, rooftop bars, and concert or sports venues currently prohibit vessels with glass exteriors. The invention's customizable materials, colors, aesthetic, and features also expand its “fit” at a range of food and beverage establishments including various types of restaurants, resorts, clubs, bars, breweries, wineries, and distilleries. Such is also the case for different kinds of social gatherings, meals, and celebrations whether personal, work, or event related. In these varied situations, the inventive containers can confidently and appropriately be used and enjoyed in many environments while completing the entire journey from the beverage maker's tap to the consumer's table.

Various additional objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawing in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a top view of one embodiment of a beverage container reflecting various aspects of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a bottom view of one embodiment of a beverage container reflecting various aspects of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a beverage container reflecting various aspects of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a beverage container reflecting various aspects of the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a food dish container reflecting various aspects of the invention.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a beverageware container reflecting various aspects of the invention.

FIG. 7 shows a reverse perspective view of one embodiment of a food dish or beverageware container with back smoked infusion reflecting various aspects of the invention.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of one embodiment of multiple beverage and/or food service containers being carried by the top container handle when paired together.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of one embodiment of a method of the invention.

FIG. 10 is an illustration of one embodiment of multiple beverage and/or food service containers being wheeled.

FIG. 11 is an illustration of one embodiment of multiple beverage and/or food service containers being used in a drive through environment.

FIG. 12 is an illustration of one embodiment of multiple beverage and/or food service containers being distributed using a truck.

FIG. 13 is an illustration of one embodiment of multiple beverage service containers being used.

FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a beverage container reflecting various aspects of the invention.

FIG. 15 shows a top view of one embodiment of a beverage container reflecting various aspects of the invention.

FIG. 16 is an illustration of multiple embodiments of the dispensing or serving means of a beverage container being used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

There are many possible embodiments of the invention, some of which are described below.

The figures include the following reference numbers corresponding to embodiments of the following elements:

-   100 a beverage or food container; -   101 a top carrying handle; -   102 an infusing means; -   103 a filling means; -   104 an opening handle; -   105 a dispensing or serving means; -   106 a siphon drain; -   107 a middle cover; -   108 an attaching and a detaching means; -   109 a method step of providing multiple beverage and/or food     containers; -   110 a method step of filling the first beverage and/or food     container; -   111 a method step of filling the second beverage and/or food     container; -   112 a method step of attaching the beverage and/or food containers; -   113 a method step of carrying the beverage and/or food containers; -   114 a method step of placing the beverage and/or food containers; -   115 a method step of dispensing the beverages and/or food from the     beverage and/or food containers; -   116 a wheel fulcrum;

In further detail, FIG. 1 shows a top view of a 100 beverage container having a six-sided generally cubic shape, comprised of a top, a bottom, and four side walls; 101 a carrying handle on the top, which is recessed into the top of the beverage container and does not protrude from the top of the beverage container; 102 an infusing means, which may adjust pounds per square inch (PSI) by infusing the beverage vessel with compressed gas, such as argon, carbon dioxide, nitrogen or a mixture thereof (i.e. 25% Cot and 75% N) through a gas cartridge or cylinder line and releasing or relieving extra air pressure through a valve; 103 a filling means, which is a removable cap or lid on the top of the beverage container, which is coupled to 101 the carrying handle; 104 an opening handle, which is a tap handle or lever that opens a 105 dispensing means, which is a tap spigot whose part is coupled to 106 a siphon drain, which is operable to dispense the beverage out adjacent to the container; a multi-purpose 107 middle cover, which is an outer wall or display whose surface may be transparent with optional inner lighting for appealing visual presentation and social media photos or videos, tinted to lesson sunlight or heat penetration through such methods as an applied film or electrochromic window control with electric dimming, physically and/or digitally colored for aesthetic appeal, branding, ads or promotions through such methods as printing, laser engraving, or mixed or augmented reality using various modern transparent or “see through display” technologies including LCD and LED or OLED, and insulated to preserve temperature through such methods as thicker material or an inner elastomeric layer such as neoprene or a double wall air gap including with a vacuum or inert gas such as argon inside; 108 an attaching and a detaching means on the top and bottom, where the attaching means and detaching means are indentions on the top of each beverage container that pair to protrusions on the bottom of each beverage container. Details relating to taps, cartridges of compressed gas, controlled electrochromic dimming or tinting, and insulation that may be used to practice the invention are generally understood by those having skill in the art and are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,466,892, 2,145,702, 5,894,869, 20050200934A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,910,441 and 4,164,853, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. The filling means could also be an inlet in the bottom, which is generally understood by those having skill in the art and is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,763,655, 8,777,182, 8,899,281 B2, 9,284,174, 9,440,835, 9,663,264, and 9,694,931, which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The dispensing means could also be a hand pump, which is generally understood by those having skill in the art and is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 185,063, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In further detail, FIG. 2, showing the same embodiment and elements as FIG. 1, further illustrates how various parts of the 102 compressed gas infusion means can be located both above and under the beverage.

In further detail, FIG. 3, showing the same embodiment and elements as FIG. 1, further illustrates how the 107 middle cover is positioned to display and protect the beverage inside.

In further detail, FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the containers with tracks instead of circle or keyhole shapes to vertically attach and detach the containers.

In further detail, FIG. 5, shows a perspective view of a 100 food or beverageware container having a six-sided generally cubic shape, comprised of a top, a bottom, and four side walls; 101 a carrying handle on the top, which is recessed into the top of the food or beverageware container and does not protrude from the top of the food or beverageware container; 103 a filling means, which is an operable front door, and is coupled to 104 the front door handle; 105 a dispensing means, which is the same operable front door coupled to the same 104 front door handle; which the user engages to serve food or beverageware out of the container; a multi-purpose 107 middle cover, which is an outer wall or display whose surface may be transparent with optional inner lighting for appealing visual presentation and social media photos or videos, tinted to lesson sunlight or heat penetration through such methods as an applied film or electrochromic window control with electric dimming, physically and/or digitally colored for aesthetic appeal, branding, ads or promotions through such methods as printing, laser engraving, or mixed or augmented reality using various modern transparent or “see through display” technologies including LCD and LED or OLED, and insulated to preserve temperature through such methods as thicker material or an inner elastomeric layer such as neoprene or a double wall air gap including with a vacuum or inert gas such as argon inside; 108 an attaching and a detaching means on the top and bottom, where the attaching means and detaching means are indentions on the top of each beverage container that pair to protrusions on the bottom of each beverage container. Details relating to controlled electrochromic dimming or tinting, and insulation that may be used to practice the invention are generally understood by those having skill in the art and are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 20050200934A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,910,441 and 4,164,853, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

In further detail, FIG. 6, showing the same embodiment and elements as FIG. 5, further illustrates that the same type of container can be configured to pair beverageware in addition to food dishes.

In further detail, FIG. 7, showing the same embodiment and elements as FIGS. 5-6, further illustrates that the smoker 102 infusing means is a back smokebox hole that an external smokegun hose fits in to make smoked food or drinks.

In further detail, FIG. 8, showing the same embodiment and elements as FIGS. 1-7, further illustrates that two vertically attached beverage and/or food service containers may be carried by one handle.

In further detail, FIG. 9 shows one embodiment of the method of distributing and serving a variety of beverages and/or food comprising: 109 a method step of providing multiple beverage and/or food containers having the elements, functionality, and optional features shown in FIGS. 1 through 8; 110 a method step of filling the first beverage or food container with a first beverage or food variety; 111 a method step of filling the second beverage or food container with a second beverage or food variety; 112 a method step of attaching the beverage and/or food containers to each other vertically; 113 a method step of carrying the vertically attached beverage and/or food containers using the handle of the top beverage or food container; 114 a method step of placing the vertically attached beverage and/or food containers on a table without ice, refrigeration, or heat; 115 a method step of dispensing the first beverage or food variety and the second beverage or food variety from the vertically attached beverage and/or food containers for consumption.

In further detail, FIG. 10, showing the same embodiment and elements as FIG. 1, further illustrates that multiple vertically attached 100 beverage and/or food containers may be transported using 116 attached wheels similar to a delivery dolly or rolling carry on suitcase. Advantageously, because the beverage and/or food containers are vertically attachable and the handle of one of the beverage or food containers is operable to carry one or more additional beverage or food containers vertically attached, the wheels may be a separate compact component or optionally integrated into the bottom of the beverage or food containers; in other words, a traditional hand truck with a full support structure and handle is not required.

In further detail, FIG. 11 shows the use of a beverage or food container in a drive-through-window-service environment.

In further detail, FIG. 12 shows many beverage and/or food containers being distributed efficiently using a truck.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of these specific embodiments. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiments, but shall include all embodiments within the scope and spirit of the invention. 

1. A container comprising a handle. 